title: Fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces via a two-step electrodeposition technique.
abstract: This work presents a template-free electrochemical route to producing superhydrophobic copper coatings with the water contact angle of 160 ± 6° and contact angle hysteresis of 5 ± 2°. In this technique, copper deposit with multiscale surface features is formed through a two-step electrodeposition process in a concentrated copper sulfate bath. In the first step, applying a high overpotential results in the formation of structures with dense-branching morphology, which are loosely attached to the surface. In the second step, an additional thin layer of the deposit is formed by applying a low overpotential for a short time, which is used to reinforce the loosely attached branches on the surface. The work also presents a theoretical analysis of the effects of the fabrication parameters on the surface textures that cause the superhydrophobic characteristic of the deposit.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Materials and Technologies Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech , Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0238, United States.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haghdoost
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pitchumani